17 Steakhouse and Bar was one of the most impressive new openings of 2015. Millions were spent redesigning the majestic 32,000 sq. ft. space filled with over the top features such as a gorgeous oversized freshwater aquarium filled with a colourful array of African cichlid fish that’s visible from both the main bar and one of the two private dining rooms. The menu includes a number of U.S., Ontario and Alberta prime cuts of beef, including the tenderloin, strip loin, prime T-bone, porterhouse and tomahawk. You will also find Japanese A5 wagyu and a reasonably priced American flat iron wagyu at $40 for 8 oz. Other options include oysters, ahi tuna, seared scallops, tempura shrimp, fish options, salads, duck confit, bison tenderloin, risotto, chicken, braised back ribs, charcuterie board, calamari and a seafood tower.

Stir Kitchen & Beverage Co. is a new restaurant located in a plaza along Hurontario St. just north of the 403. The spacious and open concept venue has exposed ceilings adorned with myriad of chandeliers and ceiling art. The large floor to ceiling windows of the space allow a flood of natural sunlight into the resto for the daytime crowd and in the evenings, the space is transformed with soft lighting and various wall mount fireplaces. The menu includes a number of starters, including daily house-made mozzarella, chef's charcuterie (mixture of daily cured meats, bocconcini, house-made preserves and grilled naan bread), beer and kale dip (served with naan, cassava, beet chips and plantain chips) and poutine (cheese curds, beer and butter braised mushrooms, applewood bacon and chipotle aioli). You will also find a variety of salads, stone oven pizzas, and mains such as the Stir burger (a decadent burger made with an 8 oz patty topped with a truffle and mushroom duxelle, a grilled steak tip, and demi-glace on a grilled brioche bun).

Lissa Genobaga and Damian Kubarski are a husband and wife team who are self-proclaimed foodies and steadfast local supporters who love their community in Clarkson - an undiscovered area of the city that has a number of gems including theirs: a brunch spot called Kravingz. The resto is unique for its made-from-scratch menu that supports local suppliers. They source a number of the ingredients for their dishes from local bakeries and suppliers such as Manila Bakery's specialty - a Filipino bread roll known as pandesal, produce from A.J. Lanzarotta, and other ingredients from Truscott Bakery and Sheridan Meats. Their signature dish is The Flip Side (house made longanisa which is a Filipino sausage served with crunchy garlic rice and a fried egg), The Polski Benedict (potato placki is a Polish potato pancake served with smoked salmon or peameal bacon, poached eggs and house made hollandaise), Chicken N' Waffles (crispy fried chicken served with bacon and jalapeno waffles, bacon dressing and coleslaw) and The Islander (jerk corned beef hash, corn and cheddar grits and poached eggs) are so far the most popular.

A nice and colourful place for the family is Bobby's Hideaway in Streetsville. With dishes like the 1/2 pounder, Big Bobby, Weekender and Steak & Eggs, you can count on Bobby's Hideaway to offer meaty, full-sized breakfast meals that are rich in protein along with all of the heavy carbohydrates to match it. During the day you will find everything, including veal parmesan, ribs, souvlaki, steak, seafood, pasta, smoked meat and all-day breakfast. As your kids are looking at the caricatures on the wall while eating their Sponge Bob’s Fingers & Fries, you can be having the Weekender.

Imagine you've been whisked away to a Queen West bar. Ever since it opened, this place has been crazy. Even on weeknights, when other bars in the area are dead, this place is bursting at the seams with people and for good reason. Get ready to be amazed. Every aspect of this place — including the space and menu — has been designed with the utmost thought to detail. Although the food menu is only about five per cent of entire menu (there are only 13 items), you will find interesting takes on southern classics, such as chicken and waffles, Rub Me the Right Way beef brisket, Boars Gone Wild smoked sausage, bison chipotle frank, blackened shrimp and gumbo cheddar grits and the boss platter (BBQ sampler platter). All of meat is smoked with SmokinLicious' cherry wood and sugar maple wood chips, which "gives a nice sweetness to meat."